on the lever and brake pedal: N
(Neutral) is reached only by pressing
the unlock button on the lever.
• Vehicle moving: the driver can switch from R (Reverse) to N (Neutral), or
vice versa, by pressing the unlock
button on the shift lever.
When the transmission shift lever is in
R (Reverse) position, the system emits
an acoustic signal for a few seconds.
You can also shift the transmission
shift lever to R (Reverse) position when
the vehicle is not completely
stationary, however, this does not
mean that reverse gear is actually
engaged, since there is a limit speed
above which the gear may not be
engaged. When the speed goes below
this limit, reverse gear is engaged.
CAUTION!
To prevent accidental engagement,
the transmission shift lever can only be
moved from R (Reverse) to any other
position when the unlock button is
pressed. It is advisable to also depress
the brake pedal when shifting to this
position.
N (Neutral)
This
range should be used when you
need to move the vehicle. • Vehicle halted and engine started:
switching from N (Neutral) to R
(Reverse), P (Park) and/or D (Drive)
requires brake pedal and unlock
button pressed.
• Vehicle moving: switching from N (Neutral) to R (Reverse) and/or D
(Drive) requires pressing the unlock
button. Switching to R (Reverse)
starting from N (Neutral) is only
possible if the vehicle is moving
backward, while switching to D
(Drive) starting from N (Neutral) is
only possible if the vehicle is moving
forward.
Set the parking brake and shift the
transmission into P (Park) if you must
leave the vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not switch to N (Neutral) and/or
never turn off the ignition to coast
downhill. These are unsafe practices
that limit driver’s response to
changing traffic or road conditions. It
is possible to lose control of the
vehicle and have a collision.
CAUTION!
Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other reason with the
transmission in N (Neutral) can result
in transmission damage. See “Towing a
Disabled Vehicle” in section “In an
Emergency” for further information.
D (Drive)
This
range should be used for most city
and highway driving. It provides the
smoothest upshifts and downshifts and
the best fuel economy. The
transmission automatically shifts up
and down through all gears.
When this automatic forward gear is
set, the letter “D” illuminates on the
gear display and on the instrument
cluster.
The D (Drive) position provides
optimum driving characteristics under
all normal operating conditions of the
vehicle.
• Vehicle stationary: switching from D (Drive) to R (Reverse) and/or to P
(Park) requires brake pedal and
unlock button pressed: reaching N
(Neutral) starting from D (Drive) is
allowed by only pressing the unlock
button on the shift lever.
• To enable special operations while the car is moving at a low speed,
such as getting out of marsh or snow,
it is possible to run quickly from D
Driving
5
164
the efficiency of engine braking
together with the standard braking
system.
ESC System Operations
In order to prevent unstable driving
conditions, the ESC system may request
the transmission system to deactivate
gearshifting. The system handles this
request depending on the gear
engaged and on the rpm, and decides
whether to accept it or not.
Driving with Cruise Control
With the Cruise Control function
activated, the transmission system
selects such settings as to provide
enhanced comfort and fuel-economy.
MC Start Strategy
(for MC version only)
With the aim of optimizing standing
starts for performance driving (only
recommended for use in areas closed
to traffic and in accordance with the
Highway Code), the automatic
transmission system is equipped with
quick start strategy.
This strategy is activated when the
following conditions occur
simultaneously:
• AUTO and SPORT modes active;
•
ESC mode off;
• brake pedal depressed. In these conditions, the driver has the
possibility to accelerate and, keeping
the brake pedal depressed, keep the
vehicle standing until reaching an
engine speed between 2300 an 2500
rpm. Then, upon releasing the brake
pedal, have the best standing start
performance.
WARNING!
This strategy must only be used on
vehicles in areas closed to traffic, in
accordance with the Highway Code
and only by skilled drivers.
Transmission Malfunction and
Overheating Conditions
Transmission Failure
Transmission function is electronically
monitored to detect abnormal
conditions. If a condition that could
result in transmission damage is
detected, Transmission Limp Home
Mode will be activated. In this
situation, the transmission may
operate only in certain gears, or may
not shift at all.
CAUTION!
In these conditions, we recommended that you stop the vehicle and turn off
the engine for at least one minute.
When restarting the engine, the
self-diagnosis system may cancel the
malfunction, which will in any case be
recorded by the ECU.
A message and the
warning light
in the instrument cluster will inform
the driver about the transmission
failure.
In failure conditions, the transmission
shift lever can however be shifted to R
(Reverse), N (Neutral) and D (Drive)
position.
When shifting to D (Drive) position,
only a few gears will be available,
depending on the malfunction found.
CAUTION!
If a transmission failure is signaled,
take your vehicle to the nearest
Authorized Maserati Dealer as soon as
possible to have the problem
corrected.
If the failure is signaled when the
engine
is started, it means that the
transmission ECU detected a fault
when the vehicle was last used. Also in
this case, take your vehicle to the
nearest Center of the Authorized
Driving
5
166
TripA-TripB
In these screens are displayed the
detailed data on "Trip A" and "Trip B".
These data are also displayed in the
Trip pages of the instrument cluster
(see paragraph "TFT Display: Screen
Pages" of chapter "Instrument
Cluster" of this section).
For each of these submenus the screen
will display the following data:
• Distance traveled.
• Average fuel consumption.
• Average speed.
• Duration.
The unit for these submenus can be
adjusted by the user from MTC+
setting menu (see "MTC+ Settings" in
this section).
In addition to these, there is also the
"reset" softkey to reset the "Trip A"
and/or the "Trip B".
Service
When checking this item, the MTC+
displays mileage and days remaining
before the execution of schedule
maintenance service and warns when
it is expired.For further details, see “Scheduled
Maintenance Service” in section
“Maintenance and Care”.
Driving
5
168
Drive Mode
Controls Preview
Drive modes can be set using the
buttons on central console, below the
A/C controls.
Buttons on the central console have
following functions:
• SPORT: to activate/deactivate asportier drive mode. In this mode,
the vehicle has a faster throttle
response and suspension/ESC sport
calibration (not recommended on
wet/slippery surfaces).
• ICE (low-grip): to activate/deactivate the drive mode to ensure increased
control on slippery surfaces as well
as higher energy efficiency.
•
(ESC Off): to exclude/reactivate
the ESC system. • PARK OFF: to deactivate/reactivate
the automatic activation of the
Electric Parking Brake (EPB).
The active mode (in the example:
SPORT) is shown on the instrument
cluster display.
The drive mode can be selected only
with the key in the ignition switch in
MAR (ON) position, even while
driving. For each mode there are
various vehicle settings, that are
automatically set by the system in
relation to the traveling speed, engine
rpm, accelerator position, speed with
which the pedal is depressed as well as
the traveling conditions (uphill,
downhill, curves).
Use the Drive Mode Buttons
Drive modes can be set using the
buttons on central console. Buttons only have two statuses: OFF
and ON. The OFF status (button
released) is the standard function
mode. The ON status is activated by
pressing the button, the dedicated
LED on the button will illuminate.
Unlike the others, the
(ESC Off)
button must be pressed for at least 2
seconds. The SPORT and ICE (low-grip)
modes can be selected both when the
transmission is set to automatic
(AUTO) and to sequential manual
(MANUAL) operation.
NORMAL/SPORT Mode
SPORT mode is activated by pressing
the button "SPORT" on the central
console; the word “SPORT” will
illuminate on the instrument cluster
display.
To return to NORMAL mode from
SPORT mode, press the button again.
Whenever the engine is started, the
system automatically activates
NORMAL mode, even if SPORT mode
was selected before the engine was
last turned off.
NORMAL mode is intended specifically
for comfortable and fuel-economy
driving (low longitudinal and lateral
acceleration); the gears are shifted
with minimum rpm in lowest noise
Driving
5
169
When the system refuses to engage a
gear, an acoustic signal will sound for
a few seconds.
Sequential manual operation can only
be selected from the D (Drive) position
whatever the function (SPORT,
NORMAL) active at the time of the
request. The gear selected by the
automatic transmission will remain
engaged when the transmission shift
lever is moved.
Shifting the lever back to D (Drive),
automatic operation will instantly be
resumed, and a gear will be engaged
based on the driving style and mode
selected.
In the event of a failure of the
sequential manual gearshift system,
the transmission ECU will select
automatic operation.
Gearshift Paddles Operation
In sequential manual operating mode
(MANUAL), upshifting and
downshifting can be controlled not
only with the transmission shift lever
but also with the two paddles
positioned behind the steering wheel.
"+": (UP): upper gearshift paddle.
"–": (DOWN): lower gearshift paddle.Also in automatic transmission mode,
when the transmission lever is in
position D (Drive), you can shift to a
different gear by moving one of the
paddles. This action will temporarily
switch the system to sequential
manual operation.
If you then keep to a constant driving
style (low longitudinal and lateral
acceleration), the gearbox
automatically switches back to
automatic operation.
Gear Shift Indicator Light
In order to improve fuel economy, we
recommend that you shift gears when
the system prompts you to do so. This
will help reduce fuel consumption
without significantly affecting vehicle
performance.
The arrow icon beside the displayed
gear will light up to indicate the
moment the gear change is required.This indicator lights up just before
reaching the required speed for gear
change.
When the new gear is engaged, the
indicator turns off. If the shift runs
late or is not performed at all, the
indicator remains lit for a few seconds
then turns off. As soon as new
conditions requiring further gear
change occur, the indicator light will
illuminate again.
NOTE:
The gearshift indicator will only work
when the transmission is set to manual
sequential operation (see paragraph
"Sequential Manual Operation
(MANUAL)" in this chapter).
Driving
5
173
ESC system brakes the appropriate
wheel to counteract over or under
steering.
• Oversteer - when the vehicle isturning more than appropriate for
the steering wheel position.
• Understeer - when the vehicle is turning less than appropriate for the
steering wheel position.
The ESC system has two available
operating modes:
ESC On
This is the normal ESC operating mode.
At each start-up of the vehicle, the ESC
system is set in this mode and should
be used for most driving conditions.
The ESC should only be turned off for
specific reasons as pointed out in the
following paragraphs.
ESC Off
The “ESC Off” mode is aimed for a
more spirited driving experience but
also purposeful for driving in deep
snow, sand, or gravel. The current
mode disables the traction control
portion of the ESC and raises the
threshold for ESC activation, allowing
higher wheel spin than normally
granted by the ESC system. The
(ESC
Off) button is fitted in front of the
transmission shift lever: to deactivate the system see “Drive Mode” in this
section.
WARNING!
In SPORT mode the ESC control
thresholds are higher for maximum
performance on dry road surface. To
ensure maximum security of the ESC is
recommended not to activate SPORT
mode on surfaces with medium- and
low-grip (e.g., wet, snow, dirt, etc..)
with ESC system active (button
(ESC
Off) not pressed).
NOTE:
T
o improve the vehicle's traction when
driving with snow chains, or when
starting off in deep snow, sand, or
gravel, it may be desirable to switch to
the “ESC Off” mode by pressing the
(ESC Off) button and remain in this
operational mode no longer than
needed. Once the situation requiring
“ESC Off” mode is overcome, turn the
ESC on again by pressing the
(ESC
Off) button. This may also be
performed while in motion.
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
The ASR incorporated in the ESC
system avoids skidding of the driving
wheels during acceleration by means
of the engine control unit (spark
advance delay, engine throttle
opening reduction and fuel injection
cut) and the rear brakes.
The ASR system is designed to enhance
vehicle stability and active safety while
driving, especially under the following
conditions:
• internal wheel skidding on curves due to the load dynamic variations or
excessive acceleration;
• excessive power transmitted to the wheels, also in relation to the road
surface conditions;
• acceleration on slippery, snowy or icy road surfaces;
Driving
5
178
• in the event of loss of grip on wetroads (aquaplaning).
The ASR system works in combination
with the electronic suspension control
system: in normal conditions (SPORT
mode off), stability in low and
medium grip conditions has priority,
while with SPORT mode active, the
system favors traction, thereby
optimizing vehicle performance on dry
asphalt.
The ASR system is automatically
activated every time the engine is
started and can be deactivated by
pressing
(ESC Off) button (see
"Drive Mode" in this section).
ASR System Failure
In the event of a fault, the system is
automatically disabled and cannot be
re-activated. While driving, this
condition is signaled by the
amber
warning light on the instrument
cluster display, which illuminates
together with the message “ASR
unavailable go to dealer”. Also the
(ESC On) amber warning light
illuminates inside the tachometer with
the message indicating that the ESC
system is unavailable. In this case drive
with the greatest care and have the
system immediately checked by the
nearest Authorized Maserati Dealer .MSR Function
The ASR system also controls the
engine braking torque when the
accelerator pedal is released under
low grip conditions (e.g., snow, ice,
etc.): in these conditions, the high
braking torque provided by the
engine may cause instability of the
vehicle.
The system, using the same sensors as
the ABS, detects skidding of one or
both driving wheels when the
accelerator is released and opens the
motor-driven throttle of the engine
fuel system thereby reducing the
braking torque and re-establishing the
maximum grip conditions for the
driving wheels.
WARNING!
The maximum deceleration that can
be obtained with the engine brake
always depends on the tire grip on
the road surface. Snow or ice
obviously reduce grip values.
WARNING!
California Proposition 65
Operating, servicing and maintaining
a passenger vehicle or off-road vehicle can expose you to chemicals including
such as, engine exhaust, carbon
monoxide, phthalates and lead, that
which are know to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth
defects or other reproductive harm. To
minimize exposure, avoid breathing
exhaust, do not idle the engine except
as necessary, service your vehicle in a
well-ventilated area and wear gloves
or wash your hands frequently when
servicing your vehicle. For more
information go to:
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/passenger-
vehicle
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
and Electronic Brake-force
Distribution (EBD)
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
provides increased vehicle stability and
brake performance under most
braking conditions. The system
automatically “pumps” the brakes
during severe braking to prevent
wheel lock-up.
The Electronic Brake-force Distribution
(EBD) prevents the rear wheels from
over-braking and provides greater
control of available braking forces
applied to the rear axle.
Driving
5
179
and automatic transmission control
systems. When these systems are
operating properly, your vehicle will
provide excellent performance and
fuel economy, as well as engine
emissions well within current local
regulations of various countries.
If any of these systems require service,
the system will turn on the
Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL).
It will also store diagnostic codes and
other information, which your
Authorized Maserati Dealer will use to
service your vehicle. Although the
vehicle will still be driveable and not
need towing, contact the Authorized
Maserati Dealer for service as soon as
possible.
CAUTION!
• Prolonged driving with the
Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
on could cause further damage to
the emissions control system. It could
also affect fuel economy and
drivability. The vehicle must be
serviced before any emissions tests
can be performed.
•Ifthe
Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL) is flashing while the
engine is running, severe catalytic
converter damage and power loss
will soon occur. Immediate service is
required at an Authorized Maserati
Dealer.
• After the problem has been solved, the Authorized Maserati Dealer
personnel will perform specific tests
on the test bench for a complete
check of the system and, if necessary,
also road tests, even on long
distances.
In addition, the system is equipped
with
a diagnostics connector that,
when interfaced with suitable
instruments, makes it possible to read
the error codes stored in the ECU,
together with a set of specific
parameters for engine operation diagnostics cycle, on compliance with
CARB, EPA OBDII rules.
CAUTION!
• Once the engine is started, the
Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
will remain on for approximately 18
seconds before turning off. This is a
normal condition and part of the
operating strategy.
• When the key in the ignition switch is turned to MAR (ON)position if the
Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
does not illuminate or if it
illuminates while driving, contact
your local Authorized Maserati
Dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING!
California Proposition 65
Operating, servicing and maintaining
a passenger vehicle or off-road vehicle
can expose you to chemicals including
such as, engine exhaust, carbon
monoxide, phthalates and lead, that
which are know to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth
defects or other reproductive harm. To
minimize exposure, avoid breathing
Driving
5
184